Many patients view cosmetic dentistry as a luxury because they believe it only benefits their appearance. They may feel reluctant to invest in cosmetic dental work and often live with missing or damaged teeth. Cosmetic dentists would like their patients to know that these procedures offer value beyond appearances. This blog explains how cosmetic dentistry can improve not only your smile, but also your oral health and quality of life.
Cosmetic Dentistry Can Improve Your Oral Health
Many cosmetic dental procedures can also positively impact your oral health. Replacing a missing tooth with a bridge or implant lowers your risk of orthodontic problems, maintains a healthy bite, and may reduce your risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and future loss of additional teeth. Crowns and other appliances simultaneously restore function and improve the appearance of your smile.
Your Smile Affects Your Mood
If you have a missing or damaged tooth, you already know how this issue can dampen your mood. You may feel reluctant to smile because you don't want others to see your teeth. You may avoid social situations or give others a mistaken impression of your true character.
When you work to upgrade your smile, you may notice a difference in your attitude toward life. You'll be more open to social activities and feel better about yourself.
Brilliant Smiles Create Opportunities
People who hide their smiles may also miss personal and professional opportunities. In many professions, a ready smile is essential to success. If your job involves frequent meetings or public visibility, you will notice that more people want to interact with you.
Our Cosmetic Dental Procedures
Teeth Whitening
Teeth naturally turn yellow or gray. With professional teeth whitening, you can turn back the clock and regain the bright, vibrant smile you remember. If you enjoy dark-colored foods and beverages like chocolate, red wine, and berries, we can remove these stains.
Professional tooth whitening is far more effective than over-the-counter products. Since we guide you in every step, your treatment will be safer than over-the-counter solutions and less likely to cause excess sensitivity.
Invisalign®
This system makes straightening your teeth discreet and straightforward. As you progress through a series of graduated plastic aligners, your teeth will shift back to their ideal positions. Invisalign can correct minor to moderate bite issues and help prevent future gum issues and cavities. Straight teeth are healthy teeth!
Discretion, convenience, and comfort are the three top advantages to consider.
Dental Veneers
Veneers offer an effective solution to aesthetic issues. In just two appointments, we can place ceramic or composite veneers that correct the appearance of chips, gaps, stains, and slight irregularities in shape.
Ceramic veneers, when done conservatively and adequately, can have a long-lasting, useful life. They may be more costly than other options, but if refining your smile is important to you, they may be your preferred option.
Cosmetic Bonding
Bonding can fix chipped and gapped teeth as well as other aesthetic and functional issues. Bonding is highly customizable and also easily repaired when it begins to wear out. We specialize in transitional bonding for adolescents.
Cosmetic Gum Reshaping
If you feel you have a “gummy” smile, we can reshape it using advanced techniques. Addressing your gumline can enhance your appearance and boost your confidence.
Crowns, Bridges, and Implants
These offer great solutions for those with missing teeth. Replacing lost teeth is a great way to reverse the damage of age and make one's smile feel more harmonious and complete.
Full Mouth Rehabilitation
Using a combination of the techniques described above, we can provide a comprehensive smile refresh. Our doctor chooses procedures tailored to your needs.
Our Doctor’s Unique Qualifications and Expertise
When you visit us at either of our Southern New England locations, you can connect with our highly qualified doctors. Dr. Cariappa spends an average of 100 hours per year in continuing education to learn new techniques and hone her skills. She introduces novel procedures and innovative treatment protocols to enhance smiles.
Dr. Cariappa focuses on restoring function while perfecting your smile’s appearance. Her treatment approach is comprehensive yet conservative.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cosmetic Dentistry
Why should I seek cosmetic dental treatments?
Cosmetic dentistry represents an investment in your quality of life and, in many cases, can improve your oral health. Cosmetic dentistry is more than an indulgence: it can change the way you see yourself, and the way you function. Missing, damaged, or aesthetically flawed teeth can lower self-esteem and interfere with daily health.
How many appointments does it take to whiten my teeth?
In the office, whitening your teeth may only take a few hours. Some patients with deeper staining may need more than one appointment. If you want a more gradual effect, try our at-home whitening options.
At Stonington Dental Associates and Frenchtown Dental Associates, we provide advanced, compassionate care for your family. We welcome you to our convenient locations in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Please reach out to us to schedule an appointment or book a consultation today.
If you feel dissatisfied with your smile, you may wish to ask your dentist for cosmetic dentistry options. Both teeth whitening and veneers are excellent choices in different situations. This blog explains how teeth whitening and veneers work and shares the answers you need to make an informed decision.
About Teeth Whitening
In-office teeth whitening is one of the quickest ways to improve the appearance of your smile. It works best for patients with healthy teeth and gums.
Teeth whitening works by applying a potent hydrogen or carbamide peroxide gel to the tooth surfaces exposed when you smile. This gel travels through the tiny pores in your natural enamel and oxidizes dark stains from food, beverages, and lifestyle factors.
Our practice provides professional teeth whitening both in the office and with custom at-home kits. For an at-home kit, we create a personalized tray to wear in the comfort of your home. Treatment time varies. At-home whitening may take a few weeks longer than in-office treatment, but it is an excellent option for those who prefer a subtle approach.
About Veneers
Composite Veneers
Thanks to recent advances in dental technology, we can now use tooth-colored filling materials to restore chipped, uneven, and discolored teeth in just one appointment. Applying composite veneers requires a blend of artistic and technical skills, since your practitioner will mold and shape the resin to your teeth. Often, multiple layers are used to create a natural look that blends with your existing teeth.
Porcelain Veneers
A porcelain veneer consists of a wafer-thin sheet of durable, stain-resistant material applied to a prepared tooth. Porcelain is an aesthetically pleasing material with a sheen and luster similar to healthy, natural tooth enamel. Veneers are used to cover cracks, correct a tooth’s position, remove gaps, and improve the color, texture, and appearance of your teeth. Placing custom veneers requires a high degree of technical skill as well as attention to cosmetic detail.
Differences Between Porcelain and Composite Veneers
Porcelain veneers are more durable than composites, but if they chip or break, the entire veneer will need to be replaced. For composite veneers, your dentist may be able to repair them with a matching resin. Additionally, porcelain veneers have superior stain resistance compared to composites
Pros and Cons of Whitening and Veneers
Teeth Whitening
Pros:
- Teeth whitening is a relatively inexpensive option compared to veneers.
- In-office whitening usually provides impressive results in a single appointment. Our dentists use expert methods to make whitening safe for sensitive teeth.
Cons:
- Whitening treatments need periodic repetition to maintain a brilliant appearance.
- Lack of dental supervision may result in over-whitened teeth that stain easily and feel sensitive. A trusted cosmetic dentist can help you avoid this issue.
Dental Veneers
Pros:
- Veneers can correct not only tooth hue and brightness, but also chips, gaps, and a slightly uneven or misshapen appearance.
- The process of receiving veneers typically takes only two appointments.
Cons:
- Porcelain veneers cost significantly more than teeth whitening, but their durability and stain resistance may mean the investment is worthwhile.
- Since your cosmetic dentist must remove a thin layer of enamel to affix the veneers, you will need to continue replacing them as they wear out.
Maintaining Your New Look
With either cosmetic option, you will need to pay close attention to maintenance and oral hygiene. After teeth whitening, you will need to limit darkly pigmented foods that will stain. These foods and beverages include red wine, coffee, tea, and berries. If you do enjoy these items, rinse your teeth with water as soon as possible.
Veneers offer greater stain resistance than teeth whitening and greater durability, but you will need to take care not to chip or break them. Veneers can withstand normal chewing and biting forces, but may chip if you chew popcorn kernels, ice, pens, or other hard items. Avoid using your teeth to open packages or hold items.
The Value of a Beautiful Smile
Investing in teeth whitening or veneers can be a significant opportunity to change how you feel about yourself and how others perceive you.
If you have felt uneasy about your teeth, you already know how this feeling impacts your social life and self-confidence. If you feel the need to hide your teeth, you may not share your smile as freely as you would like, whether in person or in photos.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cosmetic Dentistry
Is over-the-counter teeth whitening a viable alternative to professional products?
While most over-the-counter whitening products available in pharmacies and supermarkets are safe and effective, they take much longer to work. Strips, rinses, and toothpaste can only go so far. For a completely stain-free smile, we recommend professional whitening techniques.
Our teams at Stonington Dental Associates and Frenchtown Dental Associates proudly care for patients in eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. We offer advanced procedures to help our patients achieve optimal oral health. With questions or to schedule your appointment, please get in touch with us today!
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